[Frond]

Pooh Bah Post
Warning: Very Long. Okay then, you’ve been warned so no complaining


Well it is here. Pooh Bah post # 1600. I have had numerous posts on other forums such as B&M, Stud, 08, beginners etc. Although I now have 1600 posts, this doesn’t necessarily mean that I am a great Live LHE player yet but I have made great strides this year thanks to studying, playing, posting, coaching and mostly from listening to advice from a lot of people on this forum. I also don’t have the amount of experience in the game yet to be giving a ton of advice so I post as many hands as possible and maybe give some suggestions here and there in hopes that I and others may learn from our good plays and down right ugly plays. Hopefully I have contributed something here.

So this post will be about some things that I may have noticed, learned from other players that I can pass along or just some observations and various ideas about Live LLHE. Pretty pedestrian stuff for the most part but perhaps worth a look.

For starters, the more I play Live LHE the more I realize that learning this game is easy but that Limit Hold Em is a very complex game. Sort of like that Zen thing that goes something to the tune of “Those who know, know they don’t know”. I think that this game gets dismissed by lots of players who don’t or haven’t played much LHE as being an “easy game” or “NLHE takes more skill” etc, etc. Most of us have all heard this before and for those of us who have played both games know that each game is similar but very different and very complex in their own respective ways.

Some basic things that I have learned that I can pass on. Most of you know them but they are worth seeing:

1. Most of the time the money is made at LLHE by the ABC boring plays. Betting and raising with our good hands etc. Very standard but very true at low limits IMO. We keep looking for that fancy play to win us the pot but most often it is just the standard plays that do the job nicely.

2. Definitely take shots at higher limits as soon as you think your roll and your game is ready for it. I prolonged doing this way too long and it is one of the things that I regret not having done sooner. Numerous people here told me time and again to move up a notch and I didn’t because I didn’t think that my game was ready for even taking one shot at a slightly higher limit. I had my roll together so that was not an issue. Just having the nads to step it up and do it was tough for me personally. Finally deciding to take shots was one of the best things that I did in my game this year. I feel that it really improved my game when I went back down to my regular limit that I play at(IMO it did anyway).

3. Take your game serious but not too serious. I learned this from playing in some friend’s home games earlier this year. I was so serious & tight that I didn’t get much action when I did play hands. So, I decided at some point that I was just going to the next home game with intentions of having a great time, being social and playing more hands. Turned out that I started winning more, had a great time doing it and didn’t come off as a rock. How this applies to live play in the casino? Well, (I don’t advocate playing more hands like in low buy in home games that are primarily for fun), I started out being the same way in the casino: very serious and rockish. I didn’t get much action when I bet cause they always knew I had the goods, even at 4/8. So I decided to change up my style just a bit and really try and enjoy the game more while still taking it serious. Just not outwardly showing how serious I was about my game. I started chatting a bit more with my neighbors, telling players “nice hand” or “nice play” when they dragged pot even if it was from me on a bad beat. When other players perceive you as a nice guy things change; You get more action on your hands, they may start to show you or even tell you what their hands were, you may get them to tell or show you what their cards were. Just be genuinely nice and polite and it should make your game more enjoyable. Your Table Image does matter a lot.

4. Sometimes when we play our best we can have losing sessions. I realized this a few weeks ago in the midst of a small downswing. I had a few sessions in a row where I was getting great cards, played them well (I and others thought so) and they just simply did not hit and or hold up. You know the ones: you get a myriad of small-med pocket pairs, big cards, big pairs and they just don’t hold or the flop is the farthest thing possible for your holding. You look back at your session notes for hands you played or you go over the hands with someone who can give you unbiased advice and realize that your play was fine. A bit of a generalization, but one can bleed off a lot of chips when you come in with a PF raise or 3 bet with AKs only to have the flop miss you time after time and have to bail out by the turn for whatever reasons.

5. There’s always one LOON at every table (at least). Just thought I’d throw this in for fun. It seems to be true though. Same can go for families!

6. Game choice. If you have several places to play like we do here in So Cal(fortunate) and you know that the much better game is 30 minutes away vs. the tough game only 10 minutes from your pad, choose the better game and drive a bit further. You will be glad you did. Why play in a game that is always tougher when you can play in one that is always soft. That is not to say that one should never play in a tough game but why when the juicy game is only a little bit further down da road

7. Look back at your poor sessions. For me at least, a lot of my worst ones I was playing tired or my mind was not focused in on the game. Don’t play when you know that you should not be there for whatever reason. Being able to walk when you realize it is key.

8. If you are having trouble in your game, go back and look at the basics. A lot of times it may be that you have gone back to an old habit that you thought you had broken but have somehow reverted back to. Fundamentals: Works for me anyway

9. Get a poker coach. It will help your game a ton. This is something that I did not even consider 3 months ago but I am really glad that I finally did. For whatever level your game may be at it is really valuable to have someone else that is a much better and more experienced player giving you critique.

10. Really try and enjoy every session that you play. Limit Hold Em is truly a great game and I am glad that I stuck with it. I have come a long ways but realize that I have a much longer ways to go.

Thank yous: Too many to name them all but want to give a few here who have helped my game.

Numero uno is to Bernie. He really helped my game a ton here. I PM him a ton and time after time he unselfishly gives me pages and pages of advice that I have saved. His forum posts are platinum as well. He has the ability to get my opponents hand down to nearly the exact holding when I describe the hand to him. Unreal!! Thanks Cyber Mentor

Harv-Not sure what happened to him but he gave some great tips that I reread all the time. Hope he comes back very soon.

TylerCracker-Not sure if he is around either but he was one of the tougher honest guys here who got me to reevaluate my game a lot. Gracias

TT-Thanks for your knowledgeable honest opinions.

To all the 2+2ers that I have met this year and play with: Fishyak, Hyperrrprank, Scarmilglio, Fnord (my double), Pokerjans and CdLarmore (who I don’t think is here any more). You guys have all helped my game a ton and for a few of you who are much younger than I am, I still learn a lot from you even though you are close to half my age.

Finally to JoeTall my Poker Coach. Joe has really helped my game in just the few short get togethers that we have had. I feel like a much more confident and better player overall because of his tutelage. Thanks for your time and knowledge Jose!

Tom